Poker Great “Miami” John Cernuto Passes Away at 81
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The world of poker was dealt a blow Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 as legendary player John Anthony “Miami John” Cernuto passed away at his Las Vegas home. Cernuto holds the record for most live poker tournament cashes with 597 to his credit. Miami John, who was 81 years old, had been battling colon cancer with which he was diagnosed in 2009. The news of his death was announced on social media by his friends and family.
Brief Biography
John Cernuto was born on Jan. 11, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey and graduated from Florida State University. After a stint in the Army, John became an air traffic controller in Miami. This came to an abrupt end in 1981 when President Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers, Miami John among them.
Cernuto had dabbled in poker as a youngster and in the Army, and he decided to move to Vegas and become a pro. This proved to be a successful decision. His 597 tourney cashes were good for $6,471,384 in earnings and included 3 World Series of Poker bracelets. He was renowned not just as a master of Hold'em but also other variants, like HORSE, Stud, and split-pot Omaha games.
“Miami” John Cernuto1944 - 2025
More About John's Illness
On June 23, 2009, John Cernuto passed out in the middle of a WSOP razz tournament. He was hospitalized suffering from internal bleeding. Eventually the dreaded diagnosis of cancer was delivered. Since his diagnosis, Miami John had undergone a range of treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Miami John Undeterred by Sickness
Not for nothing was Cernuto sometimes referred to as “The Ironman of Poker.” Despite his diagnosis, he continued to play in major poker tourneys. Indeed, a mere month after his collapse at the table, he cashed in a €8,500-buyin event held in Cannes, France.
From Aug. 2009 till now, John racked up more than 300 cashes in major live tourneys. Among his last batch of MTT results were several in-the-money finishes at the 2024 WSOP. This means that he was active in high-level tournaments until about six months before the end. In true Miami John fashion, this last set of WSOP finishes came in a wide array of poker disciplines, including Big O, Eight Game Mix, Seven Card Stud, and Limit Omaha Hi-Lo.
John's Final Days
Given Cernuto's penchant for not letting illness slow him down, one of his poker friends, Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler, inquired on X last week about why nothing had been heard from Miami John in a while. The news came back that he had discontinued his treatments and was in hospice care surrounded by loved ones.
John is survived by two adult children, son Tony and daughter Deborah. At John's request, there won't be a memorial service at this time. However, a Celebration of Life will be held at the upcoming World Series of Poker.
Poker Community Reacts
As the unfortunate news spread, people who knew John chimed in across social media with their stories. It's evident that Miami John was not only respected and feared as a poker opponent but also appreciated for his kindness and demeanor away from the tables:
Typical is the tribute to Cernuto posted on X by his friend, actor James Woods:
Co-founder of Twoplustwo Publishing Mason Malmuth had the following to say:
Fellow poker professional Karina Jett posted the following on her Facebook page:
Hall of Fame Candidacy?
Many observers of Miami John Cernuto's poker career have come to the conclusion that he deserves to be in the Poker Hall of Fame. The length of his career, spanning five decades, and the consistency of his success against top opposition argue for his inclusion.
Indeed, John was nominated to the Hall in both 2023 and 2024 but lost out to the undoubtedly qualified Brian Rast and Patrik Antonius. Perhaps the Hall of Fame needs to increase the number of annual inductees, which had stood at one per year since 2020. In any case, Miami John's demise may give HoF voters the impetus they need to see him enshrined although it's sad that he won't be able to enjoy the honor.
Play John's Favorite Games Online
It can be difficult to play John's preferred games live, depending on what formats your local casinos spread and what's available in home games in your area. However, there's at least one online poker site that does feature these non-Hold'em variants. ACRPoker offers Pot Limit Omaha (both hi-only and split-pot), Limit Omaha/8, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud/8. Of course, it also spreads No Limit Hold'em, the most popular game right now.
If you want to start playing these games over the internet, then you can sign up to ACRPoker today. Through the use of our exclusive ACR Poker promo code PRB10FREE, you can claim a $10 no deposit bonus and then redeem a 100% up to $2,000 bonus when you're ready to make your first deposit. Click below to get started:
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